[Posted March 19th, 2017 by Bill Pickett.]
As Danville City Council members weigh cutting firefighters, some local residents have criticized beautification efforts and attempts to develop the downtown riverfront. Danville Mayor Scott Eisenhauer defends those efforts. ‘’You have to sell the community. You know what drives a community is being able to bring more people in, bringing more businesses in. And in order to do that you have to have a quality of life,’’ said Eisenhauer during an interview with VermilionCountyFirst.com News.
‘’Every one of us goes on vacation somewhere and looks at other communities. And we generate an opinion about that community based on the way it looks, based on the amenities, based on the quality of life that is apparent to us. We need to do a better job of selling this community in that way to others,’’ added the Mayor.
Vice Mayor Rickey Williams Junior said during Saturday’s city council study session that he is concerned about the quality of life of firefighters who would still be working if sixteen are cut. Williams thinks it would present safety issues for those firefighters and the community. And Ward four Alderman Mike O’Kane says he wants to know how many 24-hour shifts a week the remaining firefighters would be required to work. O’Kane says he can envision where they might have to work 24-hour shifts five days a week.
